A major evangelical website recently reviewed a new book on the rise of technology in which the review lamented the challenges Christians face when navigating the digital world led by Google, Amazon, and Facebook. It was a helpful review of what seems to be a valuable book. But there was plenty of cyberspace irony. The title of the post was optimized for Google’s search algorithms. The review featured a “buy this book on Amazon” widget. And the website prominently displayed easy-to-link quotes to share on social platforms such as Facebook.

Such is digital life for Christians in the modern age. We have a love-hate relationship with the online realm. Everyone is dependent on technology, but everyone loathes some aspects of it. For example, it seems like every week one of my friends creates a Twitter thread about how he is going to quit Twitter (some for the third or fourth time). And I can’t count how many times I’ve seen an article about “Why I left social media, and how it made my life better” go viral on social media.

Many NFL players have been "taking a knee" during the National Anthem before football games. Most players say they are kneeling in solidarity with those who face injustice, racism, and discrimination, or are kneeling in acknowledgment of the divisions that exists within the country and in hopes that they can be breached. While many players are on board with these protests, several have come out against them. And the controversy has extended well beyond players, coaches, and fans. Even President Trump recently weighed in. Trump, like many Americans, called the protests unpatriotic and disrespectful to America. In the wake of this controversy, Christian pastors have also responded. Some have encouraged the act of kneeling during the National Anthem, while others have harshly criticized it. Here are five of their comments to hopefully give you a well-rounded understanding of the different perspectives on this issue so you can prayerfully make up your own mind.

Photo: Members of the Dallas Cowboys link arms and kneel before the National Anthem at the start of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona.

Our leaders need prayer. Whether we agree with them or not, all leaders are in need of prayer, and the Bible commands us to pray for them: "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity" (I Timothy 2:1-2). Sometimes, however, it's difficult to know what to pray for. We don't often know the details of our leaders' lives like we know the details of our friends' and family members' lives. Below is a list of five different things that you can be praying for our leaders to have. They are things that all leaders--and really all people--should strive after and pray for.